Knitted fabric.



No. 789,581. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905. L. N. D. WILLIAMS.

KNITTED FABRIC.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.so,19o4.

2 sHmTs-SHEBT 1.

UIQ/@Qmg @www No. 789,581. PATENTED MAY 9 l905 L. N. D. WILLAMS.

KNI'I'TED FABRIC.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.. 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ltlnirrnn S'rarns LOUIS N. l). MILLIAMS, OF OGONTZ, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR OF ONlC- Patented May 9, i905.

HALF TO ROBERT lV. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, lINNSYLY/'ANIA MNITTED FABFHC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 789,581, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed March 30, 1904. Serial No. 200,820.

Be it known that l, Louis N. D. VIIZJ'JAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogontz, Pennsylvania, have invented certain improvements in iVidened Knitted lVebs and in the Production ot the Same, of which the 'following is a specification.

YMy invention consists oli a certain shaped or `fashioned knitted web and a certain method IO et' producingI the same, the web having` Widening-Wales introduced Without the use oi: transfer-points for conveying stitches Vfrom needle to needle or ol a lilling-up point for conveying an already-formed stitch to a vacant nee- I5 dle, the formation oi' eyelet-holes or gaps in the web at the points where the wideningwales are begun being also avoided.

The present invention is a modilication ot' that formingl the subject of Letters Patent 2O No. 614,3a9, granted November l5, 1898, to

Robert WV. Scott.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an exaggerated view of sui'iicient ot' a piece of knitted fabric to illustrate my present invention. Figs. 2, 3, t, and are views illustrating the manner in which each widening-Wale is introduced, and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are diagrams illustrating' different dispositions oi' needles which may be adopted in machines designed Yfor the production oi' my improved 'fabi-ic.

In Fig. l I have shown thirteen successive courses of a web into which six widening-wales have been introduced, three on each side ol:

55 the central line f1; ai, although the Widening may only be on one side, it' desired. ln the first, second, third, and lourth courses ot' the web each side oi the latter is composed oit two standing wales fr ft2 and four bordering-wales 4C 7;, b3, and 7)", an additional standing Wale a, being introduced in the sixth course, a second additional standing' Wale a," being introduced in the ninth course` and a third znlditional standing Wale u being introduced in the twelfth course. The opposite portions ol the Web in the iirst, second, third, and fourth courses are separated by floating threads (l, or, as they may be more properly termed, elongated sinker-wale courses, and the length olf these sinker-wale courses is gradually diminished as the opposite portions ol the web are widened by the introduction oi the additional wales until i'inally the two portions oi the web join and term a continuous `fabric, although this is not essential. 'l'he bordering-wales may represent the edge portions of two ilat webs, or they may be the opposite edge portions of a single. web, and instead ol being connected by elongated sinker-Wale courses they may in some cases have selvage edges. The opposite edges otl the narrow web or webs and et' the portions in which the widening has been elleetcd can be united by means o'li an ordinary looping-machine or by sewing or in any other available manner, the sinker-wale courses c f being removed, it desired.

So t'ar as described the present fabric is similar to that ol'I the patent before referred to, the main dill'erencc between the two fabrics being in the manner ot introducing the Widening-wales into the fabric. In the patented 'fabric the innermost of the bordering-wales was crossed by each Widening-Wale at the point of introduction of the same into the web; but in the present fabric the initial course of the widening-Wale engages with an elongated stitch drawn from a preceding course of one of the bordering-wales, preferably the innermost wale, and also with a laterally-expanded stitch ol" a following course o'll said bordering-Wale, which latter stitch may thus be said in a measure to cross the wideningwale, While at the saine time it preserves its proper relation to the other bordering-wales. Thus, as shown in Fig. l, a stitch is drawn from course 4 of the wale into course 5 to engage the lirst Widening-Wale a in course 6, while in course 5 wales W, b2, o, and 7;" are shifted laterally to the extent ol one Wale, and in this course the Wale is laterally expanded, so as to engage not only with Wale 7/ in course (i, but also with Wale n. in said course. The widening-Wale a" in course 9 engages not only with the elongated bordering-Wale drawn from course 7 into course 8, but also with the laterally-expanded Wale in course 8, and the Wideuing-wale uf' in course 1Q en gages. with the elongated bordering-wale drawn from course l() into course 1l, and also with the laterally-expanded wale .7/ in course l1. The manner of effecting this intermesl ing of the wales will be understood on reference to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. In Fig. Q, A and A2 represent the end needles of the set for the production of the standing wales, and B, B2, B3, and B represent the needles of the set for forming the bordering-wales. The needles or the stitch-holding portions of the needles of the set for producing the standing` wales and the like portions of the needles of the set for producing the bordering-wales are movable relatively to each other both in the direction ofthe arrow y, Fig. 2, and in the directions of the arrow e', Fig. Q, although said bordering-needles or the stitchholding portions of the same may be permanently offset in the direction of the outward-pointing arrow in respect to the like portions of the standingwale needles to an extent which will not interfere with the delivery of the knitting-yarn to both sets of needles by the same yarn-guide. Preferably the stitch-holding portions of the bordering-needles have movement in respect to the like portions of the standing-Wale needles, this being a more convenient arrangement than the reverse construction. During the knitting of the narrow fabric the needles occupy the relation to each other shown in Fig. 2; but when it is desired to effect a widening of the web the needles B to B* are first moved in the direction of the arrow away from the needles A A2, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to pull up the preceding course of bordering-wales into line with the standing wales on the needles A and Thus, as shown in Fig. 8, course 3 of the bordering-wales to 5i is pulled into line with course 4 of the standing wales on needles A A2. An additional' standing-Wale needle A3 is then inserted into the pulled-up stitch of thc wale and the needles B to BAl are then moved in the direction of the arrow y to the extent of one wale and then permitted to resume their former position in line longitudinally with needles A and A2, as shown in Fig. 4. rlhe effect of this movement is to restoreall of the courses of the bordering-wales into line with the correspondingcourses of the standing wales, except that course 3 of wale 1) is drawn into course 4 and engaged with the new needle A3, with which also engages the wale 7) of course 4, said latter wale being also displaced laterally into line with wale 7/2 of course 3, while wales b2 and of course 4 are in line with wales 7j and of course 3, wale L* of course 4 being outside of wale of course 3. In the production of course 5, therea fore, the new wale e3 will engage not only with the wale formed by the elongation of wale 7) of course 3, but will engage also with the wale 7) of course 4, the latter by reason of the movement of the needles B to B'1 being1 stretched so as to cross the wale a3, as shown in Figs. l and 5.

The number of wales .in the band which borders the widened portion ofthe web may be varied as desired without departing from my invention.

In a web fashioned in the manner described each wale which starts a widening engages a wale which is drawn from a bordering-Wale of the fabric, and in this respect my invention differs from that class of widened knitted fabrics in which the stitches are transferred from needle to needle and a filling-up point is used for applying' a previously-formed stitch to a naked needle, as in such fabrics the wideningwales engage with standing wales.

Itwill be evident that my improved method of introducing the widening-wales, so as to close the eyelet-hole, may be adapted in the formation of either tubular webs or fiat selvage-edged webs produced by reciprocating knitting', as well as in the formation of a web having divided portions connected by floating threads or elongated sinker-wales. 4The lat ter method is preferred, however, as it permits of round-and-round knitting and the use of more than one yarn-feed, thus facilitating production and providing for the use of yarns of different color, character, or material for successive single courses of the knitted web.

ln the fabric shown in Fig. l courses 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 1l, and 13 are composed of yarn of one color, and courses 2, 4, 6, 8, l0, and l2 are composed of yarn of another color.

The needle-plan of a machine upon which a fabric of the chaiacter shown in Fig. l may be produced is represented diagrammatically in Fig. 6, A representing a segmental set of standing-Wale needles, and B B two sets of bordering-Wale needles which are movable in respect to the standing-Wale needles, as described, so as to start the knitting with a number of the standing-Wale needles at each end of the set (the unshaded needles, for instance) Y out of action, these needles being successively brought into action for widening purposes as the bordering-Wale needles are moved so as to permit such introduction. rl`he yarn in this case is laid round and round and crosses the gap between the needles B B.

rlhe needle-plan of a straight machine for producing tubular web widened in the manner described is shown in Fig. 7, in which A A representtwo straight sets of standing-Wale needles, and B B two sets of bordering-Wale needles. The yarn is laid up one side of the machine and down the other, crossing at each end, and its travel may be graduated, so as to be coincident with the active needles, or it may travel throughout the full width of the machine, with suitable take-up for the slack yarn at that end of the machine where the widening is being effected, and in this case the sinker-wale courses uniting the edges will be of normal and uniform length.

The needle-plan of a machine for producing a flat selvaged web widened in accordance with IOO IIO

my invention is shown in Fig. 8, in which A represents the standing-Wale needles disposed in a single straight bed, and B B theb ordering-Wale needles, one set operating at one end of the needles A and the other at the opposite end of the same. The yarn-guide in this case travels back and forth along the line of needles, having either a graduated movement or means for taking up the slack yarn at each end of the active set of needles, as desired.

When a machine of the type shown in Fig. 6 is employed, the knitting-yarn instead of being carried across the gap between the opposite sets of bordering-needles B may be cut off as it leaves one set and laid in again when it reaches the other set, with the result that short ends of yarn will at each course project from the outermost of the bordering-wales. lhcse short ends may not interfere with the sewing or looping together of the opposite bordering-wales, or they can be readily trimmed off .if objectionable in that respect.

Having thus described my invention, l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A knitted fabric having a widened portion with borderingwales, each ni'ideningwalc, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging stitches of two successive courses of one of the bordering-wales.

Q. A knitted fabric having a widened portion with borderingwales, each wideningwale, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging' an elongated stitch in one course of one of the bordering-wales, and also a laterally-distended stitch in the next course of said bordering-Wale.

3. A widened knitted fabric, having the widened portion or portions provided with bordering-wales, and sinker-wale courses projecting beyond the ou termost borderingwale, each widening-Wale, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging with stitches of two adjoining courses of one of the bordering-wales.

4r. A widened knitted fabric, having the widened portion or portions provided with bordering-wales, and sinker-wale courses projecting' beyond the outermost bordering-Wale, each widening-wale, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging with an elongated stitch in one course of one of the bordering-wales, and also with a laterally-distended stitch in the next course of said wale.

5. A widened knitted fabric having opposite portions connected by elongated sinkerwale courses, which decrease in length as the widening is effected, the widened portion or portions having bordering-wales, and cach widening-Wale, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging with stitches of two adjoining' courses of one of the bordering-wales.

6. A widened knitted fabric having opposite portions connected by elongated sinkerwale courses, which decrease in length as the widening is effected, the widened portion or portions having bordering-wales, and each widening-Wale, at the point where it is introduced into the fabric, engaging with an elongated stitch in one course of one of the bordering-wales, and also with a laterally-distended stitch in the next course of said wale.

7. The mode herein described of producing a widened knitted fabric, said mode consisting in effecting' relative movement of the standingneedle wales and bordering-needle wales, and causing each widening-needle wale, as it is introduced into the fabric, to engage with a prcviously-forxned bordering-needle wale.

8. The mode herein described of producing a widened knitted fabric, said mode consisting in cllecting relativemovement of the standingneedle wales and bordering-needle wales, and causing each widening-needle wale, as it is introduced into the fabric, to engage with previously-formed bordering-needle wales in two successive courses of the fabric.

9. The mode herein described of producing a widened knitted fabric, said mode consisting in moving a set of bordering-needle wales in respect to the standing-needle wales, and causing each widening-needle wale, as it is introduced into the fabric, to engage with a previously-formed bordering-needle wale, which has, by the movement of said bordering-necdle wales, been brought into position to be thus engaged.

10. The lnodeherein described of producing a widened knitted fabric, said mode consisting in moving' a set of bordering-needle wales in respect to the standing-needle wales, and causing each widening-needle wale, as it is introduced intov the fabric, to engage with previously-formed bordering-needle wales in two successive courses of the fabric, which wales have by the movement of the bordering-needle wales, been brought into position to be thus engaged. v

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUlS N. D. lVlLLlAMS.

lvitnesses:

WA I/r nu C i usm', Jos. H. lilium.

TOO

IIO 

